Muscle Tension/Stress

Muscle tension is a very common occurrence and has many causes. For many of us muscle tension can become a real problem, sometimes without us even knowing! Often this problem is caused by the way we use our body, sometimes we are just lazy or unaware or have fallen into bad habits. In these cases we need to find new ways to help and support our body. For some the main precursor to this problem is some degree of emotional stress. Conscious and subconscious stress stimulates the brain to partially contract muscles in ‘readiness for action’. It is part of our fight or flight reaction, operating on a very subtle level. Hormones are released that facilitate this tension and a vicious cycle is set up from which it is no longer possible to relax our muscles. This tension in the muscles makes them less flexible, less strong and much more vulnerable to damage. Often patterns of bad posture are set up this way, leading to much more complex physical issues. Symptoms of muscle tension:

Pain and aching in an area

Stiffness and decreased movement

Hardness or a ‘blocked’ feeling

Physical stress e.g. working long hours or having a baby

Emotional stress

The good news is that we are experts not only in treating the physical manifestations of stress but also in the treatment of the stress itself. If you are interested please see www.mindfree.co.uk Muscle tension requires a careful and expert diagnosis by a trained professional. It is a very common presentation in clinic and where appropriate, receives careful and expert treatment. Firstly an assessment and analysis is performed to establish how serious the problem is and then, if appropriate, gentle treatment is performed to mobilize structures, decreasing inflammation, and freeing up the structures causing the symptoms. This reduces pain and increases mobility. Ultimately the aim is not just to treat it but prevent the symptoms from reoccurring. This includes education on how to keep the area in question healthy in the future. Please call to talk to a trained professional if you want to know more.